Bears!

By Paul Stickland

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 26

Publisher: Ragged Bears Publishing, UK

Year: 2001

ISBN: 978 1 85714 222 8

Every once in a while, one comes across a must-have book. Well, here’s a beautiful one.

Bears is a endearing story about a happy little boy who, one night, finds himself playing host to countless warm, furry bears who are ‘happy as can be’. They've apparently come for a party and soon the house is jam-packed with bears until the little boy calls his parents to help organize the astonishing gathering.

The book captures the vivid imagination of little ones with exceptional paintings that stretch from corner to corner and glow with warmth and bliss. Hues of cozy yellows and snug purples paint a picture of unique contentment with life that mostly children seem to possess. The lyrical prose simply makes this book a winner.         

Excerpt

It started out with just a few

and then their numbers grew and grew,

until you really couldn’t hide

from bears who now were here, inside. 

I Love You, Blue Kangaroo!

Author and Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 15

Publisher: Picture Lions, London

Year: 2000

ISBN: 978-0-44041-549-7

Meet Lily and her favorite toy, Blue Kangaroo. Thanks to a series of gifts leading up to her birthday, Lily ends up sharing her bed with Tiny Teddy, Long-Eared Owl, Wiggly Green Crocodile and others. 

Poor Kangaroo feels a mite lonely and unhappy. He finds a warm, cozy bed with Lily’s baby brother. 

However, Lily remembers her favorite and trades all her toys with her brother for the Blue Kangaroo. 

Excerpt

“Goo goo, boo gangaloo!” gurgled the baby as he squeezed Blue Kangaroo tightly in his tiny little pink fists.

The next day, Lily looked everywhere for Blue Kangaroo.

“Goo goo, boo gangaloo!” cooed the baby.

“Mine!” cried the baby.

“No!” shouted Lily. 

Night-Night, Poppy!

Author: Claire Freedman

Illustrator: Jane Massey

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 28

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Year: 2003

ISBN: 978-1-85430-902-0

This is a warm bedtime story about little Poppy who can’t quite go to sleep because her favorite bear, Growly Ted is lost.

Her mum tucks her in with Quacky Duck instead but Poppy finds her bed too cold and so she brings in Furry Cat, Hooty Owl and more of her toy friends until at last she finds her beloved bear and falls asleep.

The cozy and snug watercolors make the book a must-have for your little one’s bedtime shelf. And, of course, the plenteous animal noises.  

Excerpt

Poppy would have fallen asleep in a flash. But OH NO! Now the bed felt all wrong. It seemed too draughty. Where had Dimple Dog got to?

Poppy found him downstairs, behind the curtains.

“Night-night, Dimple Dog and Hooty Owl,” said Poppy. “Night-night, Furry Cat and Quacky Duck.”

Arthur’s Lost Puppy

Author: Marc Brown

For Ages: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 24

Publisher: Random House, New York

Year: 2000

ISBN: 978-0-67988-466-8

This delightful book not only features the colorful world of Arthur as seen on television but is complimented with fun stickers of key words like balloons and clowns that children can use to stick wherever the respective word appears.

Arthur and D.W. take Baby Kate to the street fair where she has lots of fun until she starts crying. Arthur is left clueless but little Pal knows and finds a way to get what she wants – a balloon!

This book belongs to the Random House Step into Reading 3 series, an initiative to encourage reading among children using creative tools.

Excerpt

The balloons rose higher and higher.

Over the roofs, over the trees, up, up, up they went.

And so did Pal!

“Look!” someone shouted.

“A flying puppy!”

Christmas at the Toy Museum

Author and Illustrator: David Lucas

For Ages: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 28

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Year: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-76365-868-7

This is, in every sense of the word, a picture book with painting-quality illustrations that stretch from corner to corner.

This story reinforces the glorious message of Christmas through a fairytale of toys in a museum on Christmas Eve. They rush in anticipation to the tree only to find no presents for any of them. That is, until Bunting, a woolly cat, has an idea that ensures every toy gets a present.

Excerpt

High above, the angel smiled.

She had known this would happen, of course.

She spread her shining wings and flew down from the top of the tree.

The toys gasped.

“Happy Christmas!” she said and handed Bunting a golden box tied with a golden ribbon. 

Ten out of bed

By Penny Dale

Year: 1993

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 40632 884 4

This is an enchanting bedtime tale. It’s a fun book with humor and a hint of lyricism.

The book features a boy and his nine toys who play until they are exhausted and go to bed, one by one. No prizes, though, for guessing who's the last one to go to bed.

The story’s structure reminds me of the age-old advice of counting sheep to go to bed.

Excerpt

There were eight out of bed and the little one said, “Let’s play!”

And Rabbit said, “Let’s play THEATRES!”

So eight played theatres until Rabbit fell asleep.